The making of a Sorceress
by Sylvia Viridian
Summary: Title changed from Verdanamon. PG for later violence. A chance encounter leads a young Digimon to become involved in the fate of her world. Some angst later on. WizardmonOC.
1. Meet Spritemon

New Digimon fic! This is dedicated to all the devoted Wizardmon fans out there. Keep believing, and keep writing fan-fiction. Those who have read my fic Lord of the Whistle, this is the history of the most fully developed OC in the story, the one who takes the place of Legolas. So enjoy the story of Verdanamon!  
  
By the way, thoughts are in double star-marks, like this: **...**  
  
Ch. 1: Meet Spritemon  
  
Hello. My name is Verdanamon. I suppose you've heard of the Digidestined? Of course you have, who hasn't. Then...perhaps you remember a special friend of the Eighth Digimon. His name was Wizardmon, and he is perhaps the most forgotten hero of the time. This is not his story. It's mine. But he was my connection to the events of the Digiworld, from where I had been...  
  
Perhaps I'd better start from the beginning. Such a long time ago. I was still in my Rookie form, Spritemon; a strong rookie, but no match for the average champion. I had been assigned to guard the Tokomon village...  
  
* * *  
  
Spritemon was playing with the Tokomon of the village one day, when she smelled a strange Digimon off in the woods. Recognizing the scent, she called out to the Tokomon.  
  
"Everyone, lockdown, now! Ogremon's coming!" The Tokomon filed obediently into the huts...all except one. "Hurry along, there," she told him.  
  
He looked up at her hopefully. "Let me stay? I can help fight!"  
  
She smiled at him, but nudged him toward the huts. "Brave one, I'm afraid you'd just be in the way. I'm not sure *I* can handle this guy, and he'd eat you for breakfast." Seeing the look on his face, she added quickly, "Tell you what. You can lead the evacuation if things get nasty."  
  
"Ok, Spritemon! I won't let you down!" he said, and scampered off into the huts.  
  
Just then Ogremon finished crashing through the bushes, and stood at the edge of the village. He was immediately confronted by a green fox-like creature with red stripes and highlights. "Ogremon!" she shouted, "I am this village's guardian, Spritemon! Leave now or prepare to do battle!" She knew better than to think that he would leave, but it was traditional to give some kind of a warning before attacking.  
  
"You puny thing!" he roared, "I'll crush you to a pulp, and have the Tokomon for dessert!" Formalities completed, he attacked. "Pummel Whack!" he shouted, swinging his enormous club. She dodged it easily.  
  
"Fox Bite!" she shouted, snapping her teeth together. Red energy flew out in a wave, shaped like the two halves of a bear trap, and closed together just as they hit Ogremon. He roared in pain, but kept coming. He swung his club again, and this time it connected, throwing her to the ground. **Ugh. I can't take much more of that!** she thought. Aloud, she shouted, "Tokomon? Now would be a good time to evacuate!" She saw them start filing out of the huts and into an area they had prepared with burrows for them to hide in. While she was distracted, Ogremon attacked again.  
  
"Pummel Whack!" he roared once more, hitting her from behind. She flew a good hundred feet before she hit. Feeling something give way, she realized that she'd broken a couple of ribs. She lay on the ground for a moment, praying for some sort of intervention. None came, as she'd fully expected it wouldn't, and she struggled to her feet once more.  
  
"So, the little squirt still has some fight left? I'll change that!" Ogremon charged, and she gritted her teeth. **At least I'll go down in flaming glory,** was the last coherent thought she expected to have.  
  
Ogremon neared, and shouted "Pummel-" just as Spritemon shouted "Fox- ". They were both interrupted by a new voice, coming out of a nearby bush.  
  
The voice shouted, "Magical Game!" A strangely dressed humanoid Digimon leaped out and threw a blast of sky-blue energy at Ogremon. The virus-type was thrown backwards into the underbrush.  
  
"Aargh!" he shouted. "I'll be back someday, Spritemon! And I'll make sure there are no other Champions in the area!" With that, he disappeared into the forest.  
  
Spritemon collapsed onto the ground with a faint moan. The stranger lifted her gently and carried her inside one of the huts. He laid her on a bed, and she was instantly asleep.  
  
************************************************************************ So, what do you think of the first installment? Don't worry, there'll be plenty more. And I'm still writing some of it. So please review!  
  
Nina: So you finally got this typed up, huh? You've only had it written out for *three years*!  
  
Verdanamon: Tell me about it. I've been waiting for *ages*!  
  
Sylvia: Be quiet, you two. I've had a lot of other stuff to do. 


	2. Invitation

Hey, everybody! Didja miss us? Sorry I haven't typed anything up for a while, but my muses are currently very into Yu-Gi-Oh, (especially Yami), and I also haven't gotten any reviews for chapters that I've posted to two of my other stories. It's a little discouraging, y'know? So Review! Please?  
  
Verdanamon: Oh, yes, Sylvia wants me to let everyone know that she does not own Digimon, but I am her original character, so ask if you want to borrow me. * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
When Spritemon woke up, she was surrounded by more Tokomon than she was aware could fit into a single hut. "Hey, look, she's awake!" one of them cried. Immediately, she was bombarded by questions.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Who's that strange Digimon out there?"  
  
"Hold up, hold up," she said, trying to stem the flow. "I think so, I got rescued, and if he's wearing a pointed hat and carrying a staff, then he's the one who rescued me. I'm glad he's still here, I didn't get a chance to thank him."  
  
One of the Tokomon explained, "He keeps to himself a lot, but he seems nice enough. He took care of you while you were asleep. You've been out for about three days now."  
  
"Oh, wow, I didn't realize I had slept so long. I'll go talk to him." She leaped off the bed, and landed in an undignified heap on the floor as her legs collapsed. "That is, as soon as I wake up my legs..."  
  
"No need for that," said a voice from the doorway. She looked up to see her rescuer standing there with an amused glint in his eyes. "I heard a lot of voices all at once, so I figured you were awake. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Fine, thanks to you. We'd all have been toast if you hadn't come along," Spritemon replied.  
  
He shook his head, "If I hadn't already been on my way, I doubt you would have been attacked. Anyway, since you seem to be recovered, I'd like to speak to you." He looked at the Tokomon. "Alone?" They filed out silently. "Much better," he said when they were gone. "Now then, I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am Wizardmon, and according to the Tokomon, you are Spritemon, yes?" She nodded. "Good. I've been searching for strong elemental Digimon for some time now, and one of my sources pointed me in this direction. I'm trying to form a group to oppose the evil powers that are rising in the Digiworld. Unfortunately, at least one of those powers seems to have noticed; hence the attack on your village. I've already spoken to several people; of those, Elecmon and Meramon have agreed to pass information, though they can't leave their villages, and Frigimon, Whamon, Mojyamon, Monzaemon and Aeromon are just some of those actively working in the field. So what do you think?"  
  
Spritemon stared in disbelief. "I think your source made a mistake. I'm nowhere near as strong as those others. I'll help any way I can, but I'm not one of the big players like they are."  
  
"You're also not a Champion yet. You'll be around their power level when you Digivolve; maybe even above it. You're already exceptionally strong: believe it or not, Ogremon was already pretty severely weakened when I drove him off. Not many Rookies could have done that."  
  
"Okay...so that isn't an issue. I've still got a village to mind. I'm all for fighting the evil Digimon, of course; it's getting pretty dangerous out there, after all. But the Tokomon need protecting, too. The fighting may be a long way away so far, but it's getting closer all the time." She looked troubled. "I want to go - believe me, I do - but I've got too much riding on my staying put."  
  
Wizardmon looked thoughtful. "If I could find another guardian for the village, you would follow me?" he asked.  
  
"Of course! I've always wanted to see the rest of the Digiworld."  
  
"Then the problem is solved," he informed her. "It'll be good practice for him anyway," he murmured under his breath.  
  
"Huh? What're you talking about? Practice for what?" she asked skeptically. Wizardmon looked briefly startled.  
  
"I didn't expect you to hear that last part."  
  
"I've got sharp ears. Practice for what?"  
  
"And persistent, too, I see. One of the Tokomon out there is a Destined Digimon. When I rescued you, he led the others back into the village. They seemed to trust him, and he acted responsibly. I think you could leave the village in his care for the most part, with one or two of my contacts keeping an eye on it in case of emergency."  
  
"That little guy?" She thought for a moment, "Yeah, okay, I'd trust him to deal with the everyday stuff. Let me go get him." The vulpine Digimon left the hut briefly, and returned a moment later with a Tokomon in tow.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, "I'm not in trouble, am I? Did I do something wrong in the evacuation?"  
  
"No, little one, you did very well," Spritemon told him, "In fact, you did so well that you're getting sort of a promotion." She explained the situation. "Do you think you can handle it?"  
  
"Hmm...Well, as long as there's others out there in case we need help...ok!" he said cheerfully, "When do I start?"  
  
Spritemon turned to Wizardmon. "That's entirely up to you," she informed the Champion.  
  
He looked them both over. "Well, everything seems in order...I'd say we should spend the rest of the day gathering supplies, and start out tomorrow morning for the base of operations. It isn't too far; just to the lake. I'll introduce you to our information coordinator, and we'll figure out what to do from there."  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Spritemon said.  
  
"Me too! This is so cool!" squealed the Tokomon.  
  
Spritemon grinned at him, then set out to begin gathering supplies. **I think I've had more adventure in the last few days than I've had in all the years I've been guarding the village!** she thought as she did so.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hmm, that's a substantial rewrite of what I originally put down on paper. I hope it reads okay. Constructive criticism is welcome, flames will be used to roast Myotismon.  
  
Author, Muses, and all characters: REVIEW PLEASE! 


	3. Surprises

We're back! Sorry for leaving you hanging so long. Kyer, your questions should mostly be answered in this chapter. If there are any left, leave a review with your email address, the one I have right now doesn't seem to work. If anyone else is keeping track of this story, please review and let me know!

* * *

Ch. 3: Surprises

The next morning, Wizardmon and Spritemon left the village. According to Wizardmon, they were going to go visit the communications hub of the rebel network. As they walked, he told the Rookie more of his story, at her request.

"So…your friend Gatomon…is part of Myotismon's Nightmare Army? I don't get it. She sounds too nice to be part of all that. And I've never heard of any of Myotismon's minions rescuing anyone, even one of their own, let alone a complete stranger." Spritemon was puzzled by his explanation.

Wizardmon sighed. "I know. That's what first made me so curious. It seems she's been brainwashed somehow; when Myotismon gives her an order, it is carried out without question, no matter how cruel. At the same time, when she is more free to act, she is very kind. She doesn't even notice the difference."

The smaller Digimon's brow furrowed, "But if she's so nice…why does Myotismon keep her around?"

"I don't really know for sure. I think part of it is simply the idea of demonstrating how powerful he is by corrupting a Vaccine type. But there's more to it than that…Myotismon is smart enough to know that she might turn on him someday, and no matter how big his ego may be, he wouldn't let it get in the way of eliminating a potential threat. There's some benefit in keeping her by his side that I can't see, something that outweighs the risks. She could destroy him someday…I don't know how, but she could. I don't dare tell her so, of course, at least not yet. She wouldn't believe me, and if Myotismon found out…" He shuddered, "No, better to keep it a secret for now."

"I won't tell anyone," Spritemon promised.

He jumped a little, as if he'd completely forgotten that he wasn't alone, then smiled down at her. "I know you won't, little one. You have a pure heart; I hope you stay that way for a long time yet." He fell silent, lost in thought.

Spritemon was quiet, too, digesting the new information. Suddenly, she snapped to attentiveness as she heard a rustling in the bushes. Her fur bristled. "Wizardmon!" she hissed, "Someone's coming!"

His eyes widened as he was pulled back to reality, and he looked around wildly just as a group of Gazimon burst from the undergrowth. He shoved Spritemon hastily into the cover of a small shrub with a hurried, "Stay there!" Then he turned around and attacked the Gazimon. They were all on the same side of him at first, so it was easy enough to keep them at bay, until one of them had the presence of mind to slip behind him while he was distracted. It prepared to strike, but Spritemon leaped out of her hiding place and bit its leg.

"Yeow!" it cried, and Wizardmon spun around, surprised, to dispatch it. At the same time, Spritemon dashed to where the others were, to prevent them from taking advantage of his turned back. The pitched battle quickly degenerated into a melee.

They lost complete track of time as they fought, relying on each other to guard their backs. Eventually, Spritemon realized that there was nothing left attacking her, and collapsed, spent. She saw that Wizardmon was fighting off one last opponent.

_That's odd,_ she thought vaguely, _Gazimon usually turn and run when the numbers are even._

Suddenly, she noticed a pair of eyes in a bush behind Wizardmon. Her mind raced. She was too weak to fight any more. She could shout a warning, but one or the other would get to him, and he didn't look like he could take much more. She saw the bushes move. _Decision time._ Summoning the last of her strength, she prepared to leap, hoping to deflect the blow.

As she began her leap, she felt a surge of energy. _That works, too,_ she thought with a burst of relief, recognizing the sensation. "Spritemon, digivolve to…" She began to change. Her fur separated from her body, becoming a cloak, tunic and leggings. Her limbs lengthened, and the toes on her front legs grew long and delicate, able to move individually. Her posture shifted from four-legged to upright. The fur on her head turned completely red, lengthening and becoming wavy. Her muzzle flattened, and her ears moved to the sides of her head, becoming more or less human, except that they remained pointed. In fact, she looked like nothing quite so much as a small, pointy-eared human female with pale white skin, green eyes and wavy red hair. The last vestige of digivolution energy ran down her arm and became a staff, held in her right hand. The entire change took about one second. "…Verdanamon!" she finished in a lower voice. The leap which she had already begun took her directly into the path of the Gazimon's attack as it drew back its paw and slashed. It sliced across her left eye and diagonally down her face. She cried out in pain and terror. Her flesh was still tender from her first digivolve to Champion level, and the pain was incredible. She lashed out blindly, both eyes squeezed shut, and felt her staff connect with something. The blow was followed by a thump, and then another. She sank to her knees, exhausted, and felt Wizardmon catch her before she collapsed completely.

"Verdanamon," he said, "are you all right?" She turned her face aside to hide the hideous wound. "Verdanamon, look at me." A gloved hand caught her chin and turned it upward. She heard a soft gasp as he observed the damage.

"H-how bad is it?" she asked softly, her voice breaking. _I've never hurt so much in all my life…_

He didn't answer. "We need to stop the bleeding first," he said instead. "Can you open your eyes?"

She did so, though the pain sharpened intensely. But the pain was suddenly a lesser worry. "Wizardmon," she choked out, "my left eye…I can't see! Oh, Gods, it hurts, it hurts!" Salty tears burned in the cuts; she could do little except curl up and whimper, the combined pain was so intense.

He took something out of his hat (which she had come to realize had a storage spell on it to hold whatever was placed inside until it was needed). This item turned out to be a gauze bandage, which he applied carefully. "There, that should hold for now, but it's more important than ever that we get where we are going soon. Can you walk?"

"I…don't know…" She struggled to her feet with Wizardmon's help. Leaning heavily on both him and her staff, she managed a few halting steps. Then, her knees gave out. "I can't…I can't do it." She bit her lip to keep from crying again.

"Hmm…" he said, "That's not good. I don't want us to stay here any longer than we have to. Here, let me try something." He crouched beside her and muttered a few words under his breath. His hands glowed blue, and she began to feel stronger. When he finished waving his hands, he looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"That feels much better," she said, "What did you do? I don't really feel healed…just stronger."

He nodded. "Rejuvenation spell," he explained. "I've never been much of a healer, but I replaced some of your energy. Try to get up now."

She complied, and found that she could stand more easily, though she was still tired. "Thank you," she told him sincerely.

"Don't, please. It's my fault you got dragged into this in the first place. The least I can do is try to fix it. Come on, let's get you to the Guardian's home." He led the way, checking constantly to make sure that Verdanamon was keeping up. They walked along in silence. Verdanamon tried to come up with something to say, but walking took up too much of her concentration. Finally, she gave up and focused on staying upright and putting one foot in front of the other.

They plodded on; she couldn't tell how long they walked, or how far. Suddenly, as if waking from a dream, she realized that there was a lake in front of her, the edge of which lapped at her boots.

"Finally, we're here," Wizardmon sighed in relief.

"We're where? There's nothing here but this lake," Verdanamon replied in confusion.

"Exactly. This is where the Guardian lives." And before she could say another word, he had stepped forward into the water. As his boot was about to hit the surface, however, the water seemed to shy away from it, and his foot landed on a white stone staircase instead. Verdanamon gaped.

"Oh," she said.

With a smile, Wizardmon reached out his arm. "Shall we?" She took it gratefully, glad for the support, and the pair slowly descended the stairs, winding up in a garden outside a small house. A stream ran through the garden, and there was a bridge which spanned across it. As they crossed over the bridge, a voice called out to them from the house.

"Hello? Who's there?" A young man in cream-colored robes stepped out. Spotting them, he waved. "Hey, Wizardmon! What brings you here? And who's your lovely companion?"

"Hello, Gennai. This is Verdanamon. We ran into a group of Gazimon a ways back, and she's injured." Wizardmon cut straight to the point.

Instantly, the young man grew serious. "Right. Let me see it." A little reluctantly, Verdanamon lifted her face and pulled back her hood. Gennai removed the bandages, as she fought to keep from crying out. "Sweet Goddess," he breathed, upon seeing the wounds.

Verdanamon could stand no longer. She collapsed like a deflated balloon. Wizardmon caught her, and Gennai lifted her up. The last thing she remembered was a pair of strong arms carrying her inside.

* * *

So, what'cha think? I know, I know, I'm awful at writing battle scenes. Emotional stuff is really my forte, and there'll be plenty of that shortly. Oh, and yes, I'm using the younger version of Gennai for this fic. I should probably make him older, I know, but I like the young one better. He's cute.

Ok, so as far as timeline goes, in case anyone's still confused, this is set somewhere between Gatomon rescuing Wizardmon and the invasion of the Material World. I figure no one can completely keep track of Wizardmon's whereabouts at all times, and since it never really states how much time passed during that interval (as far as I know; I'm a little rusty on those episodes), I figured I could play around with it a little. So it may be a little bit AU, but I tried my best to make it fit into the storyline as much as possible.

Anyway, please review!


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